The better the condition of your car when you come to sell it, the more money you'll get. As with selling a house, that may mean spending some money first to make the most of your asset. But you'll recoup that, and hopefully more, when the deal is sealed.

This investment used to involve a small pot of touch-up paint, some new wheel trims from a local motor retailer and a squirt of air freshener. Then, about 20 years ago, individuals in the car repair industry realised that a lot of damage was so minor that a trip to a bodyshop was the proverbial sledgehammer to crack a nut. The Small and Medium Area Repair Technique (SMART) industry was born.

It was a fair assessment. Research by YouGov for the biggest SMART repair company, ChipsAway, suggests 65 per cent of Britain's cars are carrying the sort of damage that these repairs are suited to. And with each ChipsAway customer spending £140 on average, it's become a big business.

Although ChipsAway's operatives are mobile, the company is keen to emphasise that this is more than 'a man with a van' service. Tim Harris, its chief executive, says: "The first step is a free quote; we often find that one person's little scratch is someone else's crimped panel. Our technicians have a computer software package that allows them to mix exactly the right shade of paint to ensure a factory finish.

"We're seeing an increasing number of customers using our service to prepare their car for sale."

Phil Nothard from car valuation company CAP says you make the initial call depending on the price of the car you're selling. He explains: "If you're hoping to get £2,000 it's probably not worth spending £100 on SMART repairs. If you're selling it for £8,000 to £9,000 it definitely is worthwhile. I think more often than not, SMART repairs will pay for themselves."

As with the rest of life, Phil says you don't get a second chance to make a first impression on a possible buyer. And seeing scratches or dents will give your potential customer leverage for wanting money off.

He adds: "Even if scratches or chips are just manually touched in, it takes the eye off them. If buyers spot things like scratches they'll start looking for more damage. I'm not suggesting people re-spray their whole bonnet here but a SMART repair can be very effective."